The Eagles went into the match off the back of four arrivals on the final day of the summer transfer window, although none of Maxence Lacroix, Eddie Nketiah, Matt turner and Trevoh Chalobah were eligible for Sunday’s encounter.
As it was, Oliver Glasner made two changes from the starting XI which swept aside Norwich City on Tuesday: Chadi Riad, injured, and Cheick Doucouré came out of the side to be replaced by Chris Richards and Adam Wharton.
As is always to be expected of a London derby, it was a feisty affair, with a sucession of early challenges and bookings for both teams.
Palace set out an early marker of their intent when Jean-Phillippe Mateta had a shot from the edge of the box after 18 seconds, but Chelsea’s Cole Palmer went closest in the opening exchanges with a bending effort from 30 yards which curled just wide of the far post.
Daniel Muñoz’s persistence was the source of the first chance for Palace after 15 minutes, the Colombian chasing down Marc Cucurella and winning a throw which he then took quickly. After exchanging passes with Kamada, Muñoz squared for Wharton, whose crisp low shot was well held by Robert Sanchez.
Then began a spell of Chelsea domination. Noni Madueke, fresh from a hat-trick against Wolves the previous weekend, was again the dangerman, chasing down a bouncing ball and placing a low effort across Dean Henderson, but also wide of the far post.
Moments later, Henderson got the better of the winger; a clipped pass over the top from Enzo Fernandez picked out Madueke who volleyed first-time goalwards. With scarcely a second to react, Henderson sprung high and turned the ball onto the bar and over.
Sadly, a goal was coming – and it arrived moments later through Nicolas Jackson, who got onto the end of Palmer’s prodded outside-of-the-boot cross to scramble home from close range.
To their credit, Palace responded well in calming the temperature down inside Stamford Bridge, and although the first-half passed without either side creating much else – save for Kamada nearly finding Eze with a low pull-back – the Eagles did well to stay in the game.
When play resumed, the away fans could be forgiven for thinking Chelsea would remain dominant, the Blues twice coming close through Palmer – a bending free-kick turned over the bar by Henderson – and then Wesley Fofana, whose header from the subsequent corner was pushed round the post by the ‘stopper.
But then, Palace turned the game on its head.
An inventive free-kick routine between Eze and Muñoz nearly put Chris Richards in on goal, but with Chelsea only half-clearing, substitute Doucouré’s initial effort from the edge of the area was blocked out to Eze – who took a touch towards the edge of the box, and swept a wonderful, arcing finish into the top corner.
Confidence bolstered, Palace were the better side for the next 15 minutes, mounting a number of promising attacks, including one where only a last-gasp tackle from Malo Gusto denied Eze the chance to shoot from a Muñoz pull-back.
Injury to Gusto in that incident saw a lengthy stoppage, but the frenetic pace of the second-half picked up again when play resumed.
Moments after Levi Colwill stabbed a cross over for the hosts, under pressure from Nathaniel Clyne, Palace broke and swept forwards, Kamada playing a delightful one-two with Muñoz and seeing his first-time hit turned – unconvincingly – narrowly over the bar by the Chelsea goalkeeper.
That was the last of the clear chances but Palace, to their credit, mounted an excellent defensive response when Chelsea pushed bodies forward in the closing minutes, with Clyne and Guéhi making particularly important clearances.
Both teams had further opportunities from distance in the eight minutes of stoppage time as Eze saw one effort blocked and Jackson, running clear on goal, was denied by an excellent close-range block by Henderson.
But despite waves upon waves of Chelsea pressure, Palace held firm – and could even have nicked it when Tyrick Mitchell’s effort was blocked at close range with the last kick of the game.
Palace were nevertheless full value for a first Premier League point of the season on traditionally tricky ground, and can head into the international break full of confidence.
Palace: Henderson (GK), Clyne, Guéhi, Richards, Muñoz, Wharton, Hughes (Doucouré, 50), Mitchell, Eze, Mateta (Sarr, 69), Kamada (Schlupp, 87).
Subs: Matthews (GK), Ward, Rodney, Devenny, Umeh, Agbinone.
Chelsea: Sanchez (GK), Gusto (Mudryk, 74), Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella, Caicedo, Fernandeaz, Neto (Felix, 58), Madueke (Nkunku, 86), Jackson, Palmer.
Subs: Jorgensen (GK), Disasi, Adarabioyo, Dewsbury-Hall, Casadei, Veiga.
As It Happened
